Buehler loves her time with Taz

Mackenzie Buehler has been a member of the El Dorado Hills Taz Swim Team since she was 5 years old. She is now 18. Buehler's longevity and commitment to the team is what the Taz inspires in their swimmers and Buehler has made a big impact as a member of the team over the years. "Mackenzie is not only an exceptional swimmer, but also an exceptional leader and swimmer coach of the El Dorado Hills TAZ swim team," Taz Coach Brittney Cicchetti said. "I have personally worked with her for the last five years. Over the years, she has not only grown as a swimmer, a coach, but as a leader of the team. She volunteered many hours before becoming a paid swim coach. In addition to being on the Taz swim team, she also plays water polo and is currently at the Junior Olympics. I look forward to her coming back next year as a coach, but one of my greatest pleasures has been to watch her swim! She is most definitely someone special, and I can't wait to see what else she has in store in college and later in life. Whatever she puts her mind to she will be successful. Mackenzie Buehler is known to be a butterflyer. She is exceptional; it runs in the family." Folsom Telegraph: After missing out on last swim season with Taz because of COVID, how has it felt to be back in the pool this year? Mackenzie Buehler: I am so happy to be back in the water! Taz has been a part of my summer routine for as long as I can remember, so I was pretty bored during quarantine without swim team. The year break made me appreciate Taz even more, and I am so glad that I still had a final year to compete with the team. FT: How long have you been swimming with the El Dorado Hills Taz? MB: I have been swimming with TAZ for 13 years. FT: What have you enjoyed about being part of the Taz family? MB: I have enjoyed the team spirit that comes from being a part of the Taz family. I love cheering behind the lanes of fellow swimmers and dressing up for the champs' parade and putting on temporary Taz tattoos during the Champs Rally. Taz has so much great spirit and fun traditions, which make me want to come back every year. FT: You had a few virtual meets this year. Did you like them or not? Was it harder to get excited for them compared to a regular meet when your opponent is next to you? MB: I definitely did not prefer the virtual meets to regular meets with opponents. I find it hard to motivate myself to swim fast when there is no one to race. I love regular Taz meets because there is always so much great competition. However, the virtual meets were convenient because they didn't take as long as normal meets. FT: What are your favorite events/strokes? Why do you like those events? MB: My favorite strokes are butterfly and freestyle. I like the 50 fly and 100 free because I like to sprint rather than swim long distance. FT: What are your best times in those events? MB: My best time in the 50 fly is a 26.4 and my best time in the 100 free is 54.0. FT: You also volunteer your time to coach the younger swimmers. What do you enjoy about that? MB: I love coaching the younger swimmers because I love to see them grow more confident in the water and improve their times and stroke technique with every meet. I also love forming friendships with the younger swimmers because it makes coaching them more fun, and it reminds me of how much I looked up to the coaches when I was a young Taz swimmer. FT: Do you have a most memorable moment with Taz? MB: My most memorable moment is probably when I broke the Taz and Suburban Swim League record for the 50 fly for the second time at Champs. It was such an exciting race because I had the third fastest time going into the final, but then I ended up winning the race and breaking the record I had set the year before. FT: Have you ever been involved in any other sports? MB: Yes! I love water polo as well. I played water polo all four years of high school and I had a great experience. I was recently in Orange County for water polo Junior Olympics with my club team, Cal Rep, and I had a great time. I played nine games in four days and learned a lot. We ended JOs with a three-game winning streak! FT: Do you still attend Oak Ridge or have you graduated? If you have graduated, where are you going to school or what are you doing with yourself? MB: I graduated Oak Ridge this year and I will be attending UC Santa Barbara in September. FT: What is your favorite subject in school and why? MB: My favorite subject in school is either History or English because I love to read and write. FT: Do you have a favorite band or singer? MB: Yes! My favorite singer is Harry Styles. FT: Favorite Food? MB: My favorite food is fish tacos. FT: Do you have any hobbies? What do you like to do in your free time? MB: Sports and school keep me pretty busy, but in my free time I like to hang out with my friends or read or play guitar. FT: What inspires you in sports? MB: I am inspired by people who work hard to pursue a goal and are able to achieve it like Katie Ledecky, Caeleb Dressel or Ashleigh Johnson. The idea that records are made to be broken is inspiring and it can be achieved through hard work and determination. FT: Is there a particular job or profession you'd like to have someday? MB: I am still pretty unsure, but I would like to do something in the music industry.